Nikola Jokic dazzled on Monday night, racking up an astonishing 29th triple-double of the season in the host Denver Nuggets' 116-111 victory over the depleted Philadelphia 76ers.
The Serbian sensation tallied 25 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists, delivering an impressive performance and carrying his squad to victory.
Jamal Murray added 19 points, Bruce Brown scored 18, Michael Porter Jr. supplied 15 and Aaron Gordon 12 for Denver. The Nuggets have won four straight.
Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, Paul Reed and Tobias Harris had 16 points apiece and Jalen McDaniels finished with 14 for Philadelphia. Joel Embiid (calf) and James Harden (Achilles) didn't play for the Sixers, who have lost three straight but nearly rallied to win it late in the game.
Denver led by 20 in the fourth quarter before the 76ers' bench led a 16-2 run that sliced the deficit to 112-107 with 1:23 left. Philadelphia's Montrezl Harrell dunked to make it 114-111 with 28.9 seconds left, but Jeff Green hit two free throws with 13.3 seconds left to seal it.
Knicks 137, Rockets 115
Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 40 points and New York snapped a three-game skid with a victory over visiting Houston.
Quickley finished 14 of 18 from the field and drilled five 3-pointers to lead the Knicks. Julius Randle added 26 points while RJ Barrett scored 19 to co-author the runaway win over the Rockets, who fell to 0-4 on their current five-game road trip.
Kevin Porter Jr. led Houston with 26 points while Jalen Green added 19 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. 18. Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds plus six assists.
Bucks 126, Pistons 117
Khris Middleton poured in 34 points and Milwaukee continued its dominance over host Detroit.
Milwaukee has won 17 of the last 18 meetings against its Central Division rival and swept the four-game season series. Detroit has lost its last six games and 17 of its last 18 outings. Brook Lopez had 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Jevon Carter supplied 22 points for the Bucks.
Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game with right knee soreness, and Jrue Holiday took the night off due to personal reasons.
Mavericks 127, Pacers 104
Luka Doncic scored 25 points and Jaden Hardy added 20 off the bench as Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak with a rout of short-handed Indiana in Indianapolis.
Kyrie Irving had 16 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13 for Dallas, which shot 56.6% from the field and 18 of 37 (48.6%) from 3-point range. Indiana trailed by as many as 31 and lost its third straight despite rookie Bennedict Mathurin's 26 points.
Indiana played without guards Buddy Hield (non-COVID illness) and Chris Duarte (sore left ankle), as well as All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and center Myles Turner (injury management). Dallas outscored the Pacers 40-27 in the third quarter and carried a commanding 25-point lead into the final period.
Suns 117, Jazz 103
Devin Booker scored 24 points and Phoenix dominated the fourth quarter to finish off a victory over Utah in Salt Lake City.
Deandre Ayton added 14 points with eight rebounds, Chris Paul dished out 10 assists with nine points, and three reserves scored in double figures – Terrence Ross (13 points), Cameron Payne (12) and Bismack Biyombo (11) – to help the Suns keep the momentum from a win over Philadelphia on Saturday.
The Jazz, paced by Lauri Markkanen's 25 points and nine rebounds, erased a double-digit deficit and even took a lead late in the third quarter before falling apart in the fourth en route to their fourth loss in a row. Utah was outscored 33-22 in the final 12 minutes at home after playing well in the middle quarters to turn the game competitive.